Division news

A conference titled Culturally Informed Evidence Based Practices: Translating Research and Policy for the Real World was the first attempt to bring scientists, policy makers, and practitioners together to examine a board set of issues and challenges.

Translating research and policy for the real world conference

Presidential programming

Town hall meeting at the convention

Are you an ECP deciding whether to attend the convention?

Membership Aand ECPs - town hall meeting

2008 Division and SPTA election results

Role of psychologists in responding to international disasters

Keeping you in the know

The 30th annual running psychologists’ APA 5K “Ray’s Race and Walk”

Translating research and policy for the real world conference

Eduardo Morales, Ph.D.
California School of Professional Psychology – San Francisco
Alliant International University

The first national conference on evidenced based practices and ethnic minorities was held in Bethesda, Maryland March 13 and 14. The conference, titled Culturally Informed Evidence Based Practices: Translating Research and Policy for the Real World, was the first attempt to bring scientists, policy makers, and practitioners together to examine a board set of issues and challenges. The first day focused on methodological and research issues in developing evidence with these populations that are linguistically and culturally appropriate and efficacious. While traditional research models have helped to develop some theoretical paradigms in the field, when applied to real settings many times the efficacy is reduced or nonexistent for various reasons. It takes about 17 years for research findings to get translated into practice according to Dr. Clark the conference keynote speaker and Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment of SAMSHA. Having research efforts brought into the field through collaborations as in program evaluation may speed up this process of translation and through its implementation incorporate the challenges of practice in the research methods. The second day of the conference focused on specific examples on how research can use collaborative models in their approach for developing efficacious interventions with ethnic minorities. Research efforts for different ethnic groups were presented in the plenary session as well as breakout session that focused on specific evidence based practices for ethnic minorities in great depth.

There were over 200 persons attending the conference that included federal NIH workers, APA members, scientists, directors of intervention programs and graduate students. Over 30 presenters were invited to share their expertise in generating data for efficacious interventions with ethnic minorities. The focus of the conference had five themes.

1) Asking the right question in research and practice - How do we know evidence based practices apply to various ethnic minority groups? What are the complications involved in generating evidence for ethnic minority groups and within these groups across the age span?

2) Transfer of training models: Do adaptations work? What are the strengths and weaknesses in using this approach? Are the assumptions generalizable to different cultural/age groups?

3) Proper assessments: Are current assessment strategies valid and appropriate for ethnic minorities? How do we match treatment with diagnosis?

4) From practice-based evidence to evidence-based practice: How do we best capture and investigate interventions that were created from the ground up? How do researchers and service providers link up to empirically test practices that appear qualitatively effective? What procedures and strategies are needed to maintain fidelity when conducting interventions that are generated from the ground up? What theories and conceptual models can be generated to capture and elucidate the change processes that are operant in the new, effective approaches that may be developed?

5) Is policy jumping the gun: What are the consequences of establishing policy without evidence of effectiveness with ethnic minority populations? What are the current problems and struggles in implementing evidence-based practices and current policies? What are the needs for moving ahead in creating more evidence based practices for ethnic minorities? For example, targeting funding for increasing research in this area, providing technical assistance to existing programs to develop the ground up efforts, having clinical trial studies with ethnic minority populations, and addressing the issues of retention with hard-to-reach populations when conducting longitudinal designs may be some of the priorities needed in the field. Some of the workshop topics included: Measurement and Conceptual Approaches to Ethnically Diverse Populations, Depression and Affective Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment, Family Interventions, Multicultural Assessment, Interventions with Children, Doing Evidence Based Practices with Ethnic Minority Populations in Community-Based Addiction Treatment, Ethical and Culturally Congruent Research and Interventions with Communities and IRB in Community Settings, and Incorporating Qualitative Research Methods into Clinical Research with Diverse Populations.

This conference was historic in that it had 25 APA Divisions the largest number of ever sponsoring a conference aside from the APA annual national conference. APA Divisions 45, 17, 42, 12, and 37 were the organizing Divisions of this conference. This group lead by Division 45 was convened as a Task Force on April 28, 2006 to plan such a conference and seek out resources for funding. Funding was obtained through grants from SAMSHA, NIMH, the sponsoring APA Divisions, and the sponsoring psychological organizations. Sponsors of the conference were the National Latino Psychological Association, Asian American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, Div 12 Section 6, the Clinical Psychology of Ethnic Minorities, Alliant International University who provided CE for this conference, and the Asian American Center on Disparities Research of UC Davis. The additional APA Divisions sponsoring were: Divisions 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 27, 28, 29, 35, 38, 39, 40, 43, 44, 48, 50, 51, 53, 54, and 56.

The conference committee is planning on getting the presentations published in a special journal issue, monographs, and books. The power point presentations of the conference presenters and the conference agenda are located now on the web at: http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/aacdr/ciebp08.html. The conference was dedicated to A. Toy Caldwell-Colbert, Ph.D. who held launch this conference and was instrumental in the advancing the issues of psychology and ethnic minorities in her career and her leadership of many organizations. Dr. Caldwell-Colbert lost her battle with cancer and passed away on March 12, 2008 the day before the conference.

Presidential programming at convention

For his presidential programs, Alan E. Kazdin, PhD, ABPP, has invited colleagues and friends from diverse specialty areas whose research and ideas are having an impact in the field of psychology. His programming focuses on five themes: his three presidential initiatives (Interpersonal Violence, PTSD and Trauma in Children and Adolescents, and Grand Challenges), plus an additional 2 themes (Clinical Practice and Science Integration, and Hate Crimes). Several APA Divisions and groups have developed special convention programming that focuses on interpersonal violence. Visit the APA convention site for more information.

Town hall meeting at Convention

Town hall meeting

sponsored by APA’s Policy and Planning Board

Hear ye, hear ye

A town hall meeting shall be held at the Boston APA Convention

We hereby declare to all who gather here that

President Alan Kazdin, Ph.D

President-Elect James Bray, Ph.D.

CEO Norman Anderson, Ph.D.

Will listen to and respond to your concerns and comments

Have your voice heard. Ask what you can do:

To be active, to be involved, to be informed

Revolutionary ideas welcome!

Attend: Saturday, August 16th from 2:00-2:50 PM

Are you an early career psychologist still thinking about whether to attend the 2008 APA Annual Convention?

Well, do you find yourself faced with questions of how to start up your career in either practice, academia, or research? Do you find yourself struggling with balancing your financial situation, determining how to purchase a house, supporting yourself and a family, or figuring out a way to pay off your huge student debt? Are you dealing with concerns related to the myriad transitions of life, work, and family facing you as an early career psychologist? If you find yourself answering "yes" to any of these questions, you may have the opportunity to get some answers by attending:

"Launching your career on solid footing: how to lead and succeed. Leadership development for the Early Career Psychologists Network (ECPN)"

Additional offerings to provide resources and support for early career psychologists:

Early career psychologist social hour (Co-sponsored with the APA Insurance Trust)

Town hall meeting: membership & early career psychologists—Your Chance for an Open Exchange with APA Leaders

Early career psychologist convention booth (outside the main entrance to the exhibit hall)

Numerous opportunities to meet, network, and fellowship with other early career psychologists
Visit the APA Convention site for more information about ECP events at convention.

You are cordially invited to join with other early career psychologists and participate in these events at the 2008 APA Annual Convention. Register at the APA convention site. We look forward to seeing you all there! And don't forget to stop by the ECP Convention Booth (outside the exhibit area) for the opportunity to meet the CECP Committee members, network with other ECPs, and pick up some resources specifically focused on early career psychology issues. Also new in 2008, you'll be able to sign up for brief presentations and one-on-one consultations with financial consultants to discuss education financing, debt consolidation, and business solutions. All participants will be entered in daily drawings for $100 gas cards!

Town hall meeting: membership & early career psychologists

Town Hall Meeting: Membership and the Early Career Psychologists—Your Chance for an Open Exchange with APA Leaders

The 2008 Division and SPTA election ballots were mailed April 15. The election closed May 30. The ballots have been counted and the Election Committee has certified the election. The Election Committee is pleased to announce the results of each election. Please note the Division 27 Council election results will be available in early August and the Division 30 President-elect and Member-at-Large results will be available in early July.

APA issues statement on the role of psychologists in responding to international disasters

In response to the recent China and Myanmar humanitarian emergencies, APA contacted colleagues in affected countries and asked how psychologists here might help. Answers from the Chinese Psychological Society were that what was most needed was information on past disasters and training and consultation on short, medium and long term responses. APA offered resource materials developed by its Disaster Response Network and Committee on International Relations in Psychology, and also worked to develop a statement on the Role of Psychologists in International Emergencies. This statement is important because it raises some of the considerations psychologists must address when working outside their home culture, language or country. Read the statement.

Keeping you in the know

Interdivisional Grant Program
When the Interdivisional Grant Program (IGP) was reinstated in 2004 by the APA Council of Representatives, it was reinstated at $12,500. The interest in and submissions to the IGP have increased tremendously over the past 4 years. Division leaders at the Division Leadership Conference told the Committee on Division / APA Relation (CODAPAR) that this valuable program was not adequately funded to meet the needs of the divisions. A Council new business item was created to increase the IGP funding pool. CODAPAR worked with the movers of the item, members of Council, the APA Board of Directors, other boards and committees to gain support for this item. At its February 2008 meeting, the APA Council of Representatives voted to increase the Interdivisional Grants Program to $25,000.

The Call for Proposals went out in May to the executive officers of the divisions. The deadline to submit proposals is Friday, September 5th. For more details, check out the APA website at www.apa.org/about/division/divofficers.html or contact Troy Booker via E-mail.

Divisions Annual Reports
At the recent June Board of Directors meeting, CODAPAR submitted its review of the 2007 Division Annual Reports. This report was a summary of the annual reports submitted by the divisions that included highlights of special projects, structural changes, developments, interdivisional linkages, advocacy and policy issues as well as any areas of non-compliance. CODAPAR was pleased to report that 53 of the 54 divisions submitted an annual report. The Board of Directors will send a letter to the remaining division asking that it send in the annual report as soon as possible. The Council of Representatives may choose to sanction a division that is not in compliance with the APA Bylaws.

The year 2005 was the first year that CODAPAR requested chapters/sections to complete an annual report. The percentage of chapters/sections that have submitted an annual report has increased over the years. In 2005 76% of chapters/sections sent in an annual report, in 2006 83% complied, and in 2007 91% complied.

5-Year Review
CODAPAR conducts an annual 5-Year Review for ten divisions on a rotating yearly schedule, using the previous five years of annual reports. In a report to the Board, CODAPAR summarizes the strengths of the division, problems identified during that time, and progress made in solving the problems. Each division was evaluated on the information submitted in their annual reports for the years 2003 to 2007.

Increase Funding for the Division Leadership Conference
CODAPAR submitted an item to the Board of Directors at its June 2008 meeting to amend the reimbursement policies for the Division Leadership Conference (DLC). Currently the policy states that only the travel expenses of the president-elect (or another “primary representative”) will be covered by APA. Travel includes airfare, train fare, or mileage (based on the federal reimbursement rate) and tolls if the division representatives drive. Hotel and local transportation are not covered by APA, but are in some instances reimbursed by the division.

The DLC is the only APA-funded leadership conference whose reimbursement policies do not currently include hotel accommodations for its primary invitees and participants for the duration of conference. This item requested a $20,000 increase to cover the hotel accommodations for the divisions’ primary representative for the duration of the DLC.

The Board of Directors approved sending this item on to Council with its positive recommendation to increase the DLC budget. This item will be discussed and voted upon by the Council of Representatives at its August 2008 meeting.

The 30th Annual Running Psychologists’ APA 5K “Ray’s Race and Walk”

The annual race and walk at the 2008 Boston Convention of APA will be held on Saturday morning, August 16, in Artesani Park at 7AM. This year’s race will feature Olympian runner, Bill Rodgers, winner of the Boston and New York Marathons. Buses will transport participants to and from the race. Awards will be given to the overall men’s and women's winners and to the top three in each 5 year age group, from under 25 to over 75. The top three male and female finishers who hold membership in Division 47 will receive awards. The top three finishers who are current or past Psi Chi or National Psi Chi Council members also will receive awards. To honor the exhibitors at our meeting who provide excellent raffle prizes for us, a special award also will be given to the highest finishing male and female exhibitor. Pre-registration will run until August 11th - which means that the entry form and fee must be received by that date. Please give us all the requested information including age and gender so that the race numbers can be labeled and results tabulated accurately. The entry fee for pre-registered runners (who are not Div. 47 members) is $25.00, which includes a commemorative shirt, raffle chance, and post-race refreshments. Pre-registration fees for students and Division 47 members are $20.00. After the August 11th pre-registration deadline, convention registration will be $30.00. Please note: there will be NO onsite registration the day of the race. Pre-registration helps avoid too many convention and day-of-race registrations and guarantees you race t-shirt. Make your check payable to: Running Psychologists.

Division 47 members receive a discounted pre-registration entry of $15 as a value-added benefit of division membership. If you are an APA member and wish to apply for division membership use the registration form ( ) and remit the discounted entry fee ($15) plus the Division dues ($24 for members, $14 for associates, $10 for student affiliates). Your application will be forwarded to APA for processing.

You may pick up your race number and shirt at the Division Services Booth in the main convention area, beginning Thursday morning, August 14th. All further race information including maps, bus pickups from hotels, optional pasta party and award categories will also be available at the Division Services Booth.

For questions or more information, contact Lucinda Seares-Monica, PsyD or Janet Cain, PhD. You can also visit the Division 47 website.